Public Enemy

Fight the Power

Every day brings a new untruth from this White House. The barrage of lies has a numbing quality, and we can easily become anesthesized to what is taking place. But, as the great Chuck D reminds us here, "What we need is awareness, we can't get careless." —The Editors

Lyrics

1989 the number another summer, get down
Sound of the funky drummer
Music hittin' your heart, 'cause I know you got soul
Brothers and sisters
Listen if you're missin' why?all
Swingin? while I'm singin'
Givin' whatcha gettin'
Knowin' what I know and
While the black bands sweatin'
And the rhythm rhymes rollin'
Got to give us what we want
Gotta give us what we need
Our freedom of speech is freedom or death
We've got to fight the powers that be
Lemme hear you say
Fight the power
Lemme hear you say
Fight the power
Lemme hear you say
Fight the power
Lemme hear you say
Fight the power
Lemme hear you say
Fight the power
Lemme hear you say
Fight the power
We've got to fight the powers that be
As the rhythm designed to bounce
What counts is that the rhymes designed to fill your mind
Now that you've realized the prides arrived
We got to pump the stuff to make us tough
From the heart, it's a start, a work of art
To revolutionize, make a change, nothin's strange
People, people, we are the same
No, we're not the same, 'cause we don't know the game
What we need is awareness, we can't get careless
You say what is this?
My beloved, let's get down to business
Mental self defensive fitness
Yo, bum rush the show
You gotta go for what you know
To make everybody see
In order to fight the powers that be
Lemme hear you say
Fight the power
Lemme hear you
Fight the power
Lemme hear you say
Fight the power
Lemme hear you
Fight the power
Lemme hear you say
Fight the power
Lemme hear you
Fight the power
Lemme hear you say
Fight the power
We've got to fight the powers that be
Lemme hear you say
Fight the power
Lemme hear you
Lemme hear you say
Fight the power
Lemme hear you say
Fight the power
Lemme hear you say
Fight the power
Lemme hear you
Fight the power
Lemme hear you say
Fight the power
We've got to fight the powers that be
Elvis was a hero to most
But he never meant shit to me you see
Straight up racist that sucker was
Simple and plain
Mother fuck him and John Wayne
'Cause I'm black and I'm proud
I'm ready and hyped plus I'm amped
Most of my heroes don't appear on no stamps
Sample a look back you look and find
Nothing but rednecks for four hundred years if you check
Don't worry be happy was a number one jam
Damn, if I say it you can slap me right here
Let's get this party started right
Right on, c'mon, what we got to say
Power to the people, no delay
Make everybody see in order to fight the powers that be
Fight the power
Fight the power
Fight the power
Fight the power
We've got to fight the powers that be